Rosemary Catacalos

Rosemary Catacalos (1944 – June 17, 2022) was the 2013–2014 Texas Poet Laureate. A writer of Mexican and Greek ancestry, Catacalos was the first Latina named to the State post.

Early life Catacalos was born in 1944 in St. Petersburg, Florida, during World War II to parents from San Antonio, Texas. She returned to San Antonio when she was three years old, where she spent most of her childhood on the east side. Catacalos was of Greek and Mexican heritage, and was known for blending the history, folklore and mythologies of those cultures into her carefully crafted poems, which often feature closely observed San Antonio settings. Catacalos was included in the award-winning documentary The Children of the Revolución.

Career In the 1960s, Catacalos worked as a reporter and arts columnist for the San Antonio Light newspaper. She was an early advocate for and participant in the artist-in-the-schools programs, building a legacy that lived on for decades after.

Again for the First Time

Catacalos' first full-length collection received the 1985 Texas Institute of Letters poetry prize. It was also reissued in 2013 on its 30th anniversary.